Coil package and method of forming a package

ABSTRACT

A method of packaging a coil of strip material is described. The strip material may be steel strip and the method includes wrapping protective steel strip material around the outer circumference of the coil to provide axially overhanging circumferential edges at each end of the coil which are deformed radially inwardly to retain a steel annulus coated with flexible foam abutted against the ends of the coil laps.

United States Patent 1191 Reed Dec. 24, 1974 [54] COIL PACKAGE ANDMETHOD OF 2,212,668 8/l940 Mirfield 206/397 FORMING A PACKAGE 2,286,5006/1942 Morrill et al..... 206/407 3,039,602 6/1962 Kessler 206/407Inventor: G y Ronald Reed, 3,160,275 12/1964 Berquist 20 /400 England[73] Assignee: The British Iron and Steel Research FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS Association, London, gl 480,996 2/1952 Canada 206/407 22F'] d: M 29, 1973 1 1e ar Primary ExaminerDonald E. Watkins PP 346,040Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bacon & Thomas [30] Forelgn ApplicationPlrlorlty Data ABSTRACT May 16, 1972 Great Bfllflln 22948/72 A method ofpackaging a coilof strip material is de- [52] US. Cl 206/407, 53/13,206/389 scribed. The strip material may be steel strip and the [5 l]Int. Cl B65d 85/02, B65d 85/54 method includes wrapping protective steelstrip mate- Field Of Search 206/3 39 rial around the outer circumferenceof the coil to pro- 206/400, 401, 402, 405, 406, 407,.413-416; videaxially overhanging circumferential edges at each 53/13, 204, 32 end ofthe coil which are deformed radially inwardly to retain a steel annuluscoated with flexible foam [56] References Cited abutted against the endsof the coil laps.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 13 C 8 D F 2,027,380 1/1936 Hawker 206/407 rawmgJill...

COIL PACKAGE AND METHOD OF FORMING A PACKAGE Coils of strip materialsuch as steel strip have to be packaged to protect them during transit.It is usual to package coils of steel strip by hand, usually by wrappingturns of substandard strip around the coil, holding them in positionwith straps and bending portions of the wrapping strip around the endsof the coil. This is very time consuming and does not provide a veryprotective package. Proposals have also been made, for example in US.Pat. No. 3,198,418 to provide a preformed container into which a coil ofsteel is placed.

Proposals have also been made in our US. Pat. No. 3,670,877 for a newsystem which provides a quick, cheap and very effective packagingmethod. This present invention is an improvement over what is describedin our US. Pat. No. 3670877 and provides better protection for thecoils.

According to one aspect of the present invention a method of packaging acoil of strip material includes wrapping protective material around thecircumference of the coil with an axially outwardly directed overhangingprojection of protective material around the outer circumferential edgeat each end ofthe coil, providing protection for the eye ofthe coil,providing a stiff annular member of protective material adjacent eachend of the coil within the overhanging projection of protective materialand providing annular flexible cushioning atat least the radiallyoutermost edge of said annular member immediately adjacent to saidoverhanging projection of protective material.

According to a further aspect of the present invention a packaged coilof strip material is provided with protective material wrapped aroundthe circumference of the coil with an axially outwardly directedoverhanging projection of protective materialaround the outercircumferential edge at each end of the coil, protective materialprovided in the eye of the coil, a stiff annular member of protectivematerial adjacent each end of the coil within the overhanging projectionof protective material and an annular flexible cushioning at at leastthe radially outermost edge of said annular member immediately adjacentto said overhanging projection of protective material.

In one embodiment the annular member which is conveniently steel sheet,is first coated on one side with a protective coating constituting theaforesaid cushioning, the protective coating being typically a flexiblenon-porous material such as a polyurethane foam. Alternatively, theannular member may not first be coated, but may have an annularprotective layerconstituting the cushioning applied around its outercircumferential edge after being positioned adjacent the end of thecoil. This layer is suitably a flexible one part material such aspolyurethane froth applied from an aerosol can or other suitable means.

The annular member is generally planar and the outer diameter thereof issuitably just less than the diameter of the wrapping of protectivematerial. The inner diameter of the annular member is preferablyapproximately the same as the diameter of the eye of the coil of stripmaterial. The overhanging projection is preferably bent over so that itextends radially inwardly over part of the annular member and at leastpart of the cushioning.

The protection for the eye of the coil suitably includes a tube ofprotective material such as steel sheet. The protection for the eye ofthe coil may include an eye trumpet extending partially into the eye andpartially across the end of the coil at each end of the eye of the coil.A sealing compound may be applied around the outer and innercircumferential edges at each end of the coil so as to provide awaterproof seal between the junctions of the protective material.

In fabricating the wrapping, the outer turn of the coil may be unwoundto be subsequently wound backon the coil as protective material, andprotective material may be interposed between the outer turn and therest of the coil to form the overhanging projections around the outercircumferential edges. A sheet of further protective material such aswaterproof paper may be interposed between the outer turn and the restof the coil. The outer turn may be unwound from the coil by rotating thecoil in one sense, and may then be wound back onto the coil withprotective material interposed between the outer turn and the rest ofthe coil by rotating the coil in the opposite sense.

A plurality of spaced perforations may be formed in theprotective'material before it is wrapped around the circumference of thecoil, such perforations being formed in the apices of respectiveupstanding frustoconical projections which, when the protective materialis wrapped around the coil, extend radially outwardly of the protectivematerial in spaced circumferential relation with one another, Suchperforations permit drainage of water which may accumulate inside thepackaged coil whilst at the same time, by nature of their frusto-conicalconfigurations, substantially prevent the direct entry of rain watertherethrough if the package is exposed to the elements.

FIG. 1 shows schematically a longitudinal section of one coil packagedaccording to the invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail of FIG. 1 showing a modification of thepackage,

FIG. 4 shows schematically a longitudinal section of another coilpackaged according to the invention,

FIG. 5 shows a detail of a further modification to the packaged coil ofFIG. 1,

FIG. 6 shows a suitable coil packaging apparatus for carrying theinvention into effect, and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail of the FIG. 1 package showing amodification to the wrapping protective material and FIG. 8 is atransverse cross sectional view of apparatus for forming modifiedwrapping material.

For clarity, FIGS. 1 and 4 show each element of the package as discreteand separate. Like references are used to denote like parts in all theFigures.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 a coil 10 of steel strip having an eye 11 hasprotective steel sheet material 12 wrapped around its circumference,with an overhanging projection 13 of steel sheet around the outercircumferential edge at each end of the coil 10. A tube of protectivesteel sheet material 14 is also provided in the eye 11 of the coil 10.An annular generally planar steel sheet 15 coated'with a protectivecoating 16 of polyurethane foam constituting cushioning lies adjacenteach end of the coil 10 so that the protective coating 16 is pressedagainst the coil 10. The outer diameter of the annularshaped steel sheet15 is slightly'less than the diameter of the wrapping of sheet material12. Although only a single sheet of steel material 12 is hereinbeforedescribed it will be appreciated that multiple strips of over-lappingmaterial may constitute the outer wrapping around the coil provided onlythat such multiple strip provides overhanging projection 13 thereof ateach end of coil 10.

Sheets of waterproof paper 17, which is a further protective material,are interposed between the coil 10 and the wrapping of sheet material12. The water proof paper 17 also extends radially inwardly between theends of coil 10 and the protective coating 16 and is also tucked axiallyinwardly into the eye 11 to overlie a tu' bular inner paper wrappingwithin the eye as is clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The innercircumferential edges of the coil are also protected by sheet steel eyetrumpets 18 which extend partially into the eye 11 and partially acrossthe end of the coil 10.

A series of steel bands 19 secure the various elements of the package tothe coil 10. Each band 19 runs through the eye 11 of the coil 10 andaround an annular section of the coil 10.

Attendant upon the banding of the coil the axially outwardly directedoverhanging projection 13 of steel sheet around the .outercircumferential edge of the coil 10 is deformed radially inwardly topartly overlap the sheet and the radially outermost part of thecushioning 16 (as is clearly shown in FIG. 2) sothat sheet 15 I andcushioning16 lie within the overhanging projection 13.

A modification of the package hereinbefore described with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2 is shown in FIG. 3. In this modification a sealingcompound of a bitumastic material is applied around the outer and innercircumferential edges of the coil 10 at each end of the coil 10 so as toprovide a waterproof seal between the junction of the protective steelsheet material 12 and the coated annular steel sheet 15.

The coil 10 in FIG. 3 is shown as having a curved edge 21. This is afairly common occurrence in the winding of coils of steel strip and cangive rise to packaging problems. However, with the present invention,the protective coating of polyurethane foam 16 deforms as shown toaccommodate variations in the winding of the coil 10.

In FIG. 4, a variation in the package is shown which does away with theeye trumpet 18 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 although attendant upon the windingof the coil the axially outwardly directed overhanging projection 13- ofsteel sheet around the outer circumferential edge of coil 10 is deformedradially inwardly to partly overlap the sheet 15 and the radiallyoutermost part of the cushioning 16 so that sheet 15 and cushioning l6lie within the overhanging projection 13 at each respective end of thecoil 10. An annular steel sheet member 22 coated with polyurethane foam16 covers each end of the coil 10 and extends into the eye 11 of thecoil 10. A sealing compound can be applied to the outer circumferentialedge of the coil if required.

Both the annular sheet member 22 of FIG. 4 and the annular sheet 15 ofFIGS. 1 to 3 are coated with polyurethane foam l6 and the foam 16 isallowed to dry prior to the application of the sheet member 15 or 22 asthe case may be to the coil 10. This means that there is no need for theuse of arelease agent on the ends of the coil 10 to prevent sticking ofthe foam 16 to the ends of coil 10.

A further variation of the package is seen in'FIG. 5 wherein the annularsteel sheet member 15 lies directly adjacent the end of coil 10. Theoverhanging projection 13 of steel sheet around the outercircumferential edge of coil 10 is deformed radially inwardly and foldedover an annular cushioning ring of dried one part polyurethane froth 23when the coil 10 is handed by bands 19. The one part polyurethane froth23 is applied from an aerosol'can to the periphery of the annular member15 and dries rapidly to form a protective layer around the outercircumferential edge of coil 10. Since this edge is the part of coil 10most likely to be damaged by handling this variation provides a suitablealternative means of protecting the edges of coil 10 to the meanspreviously described. The outer protective steel sheet material 12 andwrapping papers 17 are applied as hereinbefore described with referenceto FIGS. 1 to 3.

Prior to the insertion of the protective steel sheet material 14 intothe eye 11 of the coil 10, the use of an expansion ring, such as thatshown in our pending application Ser. No 310148 is recommended to ensurethat the innermost turns of the coil 10 are tightly wrapped and do nottherefore tend to damage the foam 16 when the package is handled.

The packaging apparatus schematically illustrated in FIG. 6 includes apaper wrapping station 31, a steel sheet wrapping station 32 and thirdstation 33 for final packaging and banding. 1

Coils 10 of steel strip arrive at the paper wrapping station 31 on aconveyor 34, and sheets of paper 17 from a paper dispenser 35 are thenwrapped around coil 10. Coil 10 is rotated about its longitudinal axisto facilitate the paper wrapping operation.

The-coils 10, now wrapped in paper 17, are transferred to the steelsheet wrapping station 32. Steel wrapping sheets 12 cut to anappropriate length to surround the coil 10 are dispensed from a steelsheet dispenser 36. Coil 10 is then rotated to pull the steel sheets 12tightly around its circumference care being taken to ensure that thecoil has been centred relative to the sheets 12 so that there is anoverhanging projection 13 of steel sheet 12 around the outercircumferential edge at each end of the coil. The steel sheets 12 arethen spot welded together to hold the wrapping in position.

At the third station 33, annular steel sheets 15 are positioned adjacenteach end of the coil within the overhanging projections 13 of steelsheets 12. The protection for the ends of the coil 10 may include any ofthe variations previously described. Steel eye bands 19 from a bandingmachine 37 are then applied to the packaged coil to cause theoverhanging projections 13 of steel sheet 12 to bend over'radiallyinwardly and overlap part of the disc shaped sheet 15 and cushioning 16and to secure the packaging.

A further apparatus for packaging the coils is similar to that shown inFIG. 1 of our US. Pat. No. 3670877.The spraying tunnel shown in thatfigure is, however, not required and the insertion of the annular steelsheets 15 of the present invention takes place before the application ofsteel bands to the package. The method of using the outer turn of thecoil as protective materialis as described in our US. Pat. No. 3670877.

In FIG. 7 of the drawings the coil package is adapted for the drainageof rain water which may accumulate within the package, particularlybetween the outer wrapping protective material 12 and the annular sheet15 at each end of the coil. In order to permit such drainage, each endof the wrapped material 12 is formed with a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced apart perforations 40 illustrated herein asbeing arranged at each end of the coil in two axially spaced rows. Theperforations 40 are formed at the apices of respective upstandingfrusto-conical projections 42 extending radially outwardly of thewrapped coil. It will be appreciated that the frusto-conical shape ofthe projections enables water to drain readily outwardly if entrapped atthe ends of the coil package whilst at the same time rain water issubstantially prevented from entering directly through the perforations40 if the coil package is exposed to the elements.

The perforated frusto-conical projections 42 are formed in the wrappingprotective material 12 conveniently at the steel sheet wrapping station32. As shown in FIG. 8 the station 32 may include, in line with each endof the coil, a pair of co-operating rollers 44-46 through which thesteel wrapping sheet 12 is fed prior to being wrapped around the coil10. As illustrated herein, the top roller 44 is provided with twoaxially spaced annular grooves 45 in its outer periphery of such aradial depth to receive two co-operating rings of frusto-conicalradially outwardly extending studs 47 on a lower co-operating roller 46.Passage of the sheet material 12 between the two rollers 44-46 permitsformation of the perforated frusto-conical projections 42 by a pressingor punching operation of the studs 47 on the sheet 12. It will, ofcourse, be appreciated that the perforated projections 42 may bearranged in any suitable pattern at the edges of sheet 12 by suitablecooperating rollers.

I claim:

1. A method of packaging a coil of metal strip mate rial includingwrapping steel sheet protective material around the circumference of thecoil with an axially outwardly directed overhanging projection of saidprotective material around the outer circumferential edge at each end ofthe coil; inserting protective material within the eye of the coil;applying a steel sheet annular member to each end of the coil withinsaid overhanging projection of protective material; and providingannular flexible cushioning at at least the radially outermost edge ofsaid annular member immediately adjacent to said overhanging projectionof protective material.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein each said annular member iscoated with a cushioning material providing said flexible cushioningprior to positioning a said annular member at each end of the coil.

3. A method according to claim I wherein said cushioning is applied tothe axially outer surface of each said annular member around its outercircumferential edge after being positioned adjacent the end of thecoil.

4. A method according to claim 1 including the further step of deformingsaid overhanging projection of protective material in a radiallyinwardly direction at each end of the coil to overlie each said annularmember and associated flexible cushioning at their radially outer edges.

5. A method according to claim 1 including the further step of forming aplurality of spaced perforations in the said protective material beforeit is wrapped around the circumference of the coil whereby, when saidmaterial is wrapped around the coil, said perforations are disposedadjacent each end of the coil in spaced circumferential relation withone another.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said perforations are formed inthe apices of respective upstanding frusto-conical projections which,when the protective material is wrapped around the coil, extend radiallyoutwardly of the coil.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said flexible cushioningcomprises a foam material.

8. A packaged coil of metal strip material including: steel sheetprotective material wrapped around the circumference of the coil with anaxially outwardly di rected overhanging projection of protectivematerial around the outer circumferential edge at each end of the coil;protective material in the eye of the coil; a steel sheet annular memberadjacent each end of the coil within said overhanging projection ofprotective material; and annular flexible cushioning at at least theradially outermost edge of said annular member immediately adjacentsaidoverhanging projection of protective material.

9. Packaged strip material as claimed in claim 8 wherein said cushioningand said annular member are substantially co-extensive with one anotherat each end of the coil and extend from the eye thereof to the outercircumferential edge.

10. Packaged strip material as claimed in claim 8 wherein saidoverhanging projection of protective material is deformed radiallyinwardly at each end of the coil to overlie each respective said stiffannular member and its associated cushioning at their radially outeredges.

11. Packaged strip material as claimed in claim 8 wherein saidprotective material is provided with a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced perforations therein adjacent each end of the coil.

12. Packaged strip material as claimed in claim 8 wherein a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced upstanding frusto-conical projections extendradially outwardly of said protective material adjacent each end of thecoil, said perforations being formed at the apices of respective saidprojections.

13. Packaged strip material as claimed in claim 8 wherein said flexiblecushioning comprises a foam material..

1. A method of packaging a coil of metal strip material including wrapping steel sheet protective material around the circumference of the coil with an axially outwardly directed overhanging projection of said protective material around the outer circumferential edge at each end of the coil; inserting protective material within the eye of the coil; applying a steel sheet annular member to each end of the coil within said overhanging projection of protective material; and providing annular flexible cushioning at at least the radially outermost edge of said annular member immediately adjacent to said overhanging projection of protective material.
 1. A method of packaging a coil of metal strip material including wrapping steel sheet protective material around the circumference of the coil with an axially outwardly directed overhanging projection of said protective material around the outer circumferential edge at each end of the coil; inserting protective material within the eye of the coil; applying a steel sheet annular member to each end of the coil within said overhanging projection of protective material; and providing annular flexible cushioning at at least the radially outermost edge of said annular member immediately adjacent to said overhanging projection of protective material.
 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein each said annular member is coated with a cushioning material providing said flexible cushioning prior to positioning a said annular member at each end of the coil.
 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said cushioning is applied to the axially outer surface of each said annular member around its outer circumferential edge after being positioned adjacent the end of the coil.
 4. A method according to claim 1 including the further step of deforming said overhanging projection of protective material in a radially inwardly direction at each end of the coil to overlie each said annular member and associated flexible cushioning at their radially outer edges.
 5. A method according to claim 1 including the further step of forming a plurality of spaced perforations in the said protective material before it is wrapped around the circumference of the coil whereby, when said material is wrapped around the coil, said perforations are disposed adjacent each end of the coil in spaced circumferential relation with one another.
 6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said perforations are formed in the apices of respective upstanding frusto-conical projections which, when the protective material is wrapped around the coil, extend radially outwardly of the coil.
 7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said flexible cushioning comprises a foam material.
 9. Packaged strip material as claimed in claim 8 wherein said cushioning and said annular member are substantially co-extensive with one another at each end of the coil and extend from the eye thereof to the outer circumferential edge.
 10. Packaged strip material as claimed in claim 8 wherein said overhanging projection of protective material is deformed radially inwardly at each end of the coil to overlie each respective said stiff annular member and its associated cushioning at their radially outer edges.
 11. Packaged strip material as claimed in claim 8 wherein said protective material is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced perforations therein adjacent each end of the coil.
 12. Packaged strip material as claimed in claim 8 wherein a plurality of circumferentially spaced upstanding frusto-conical projections extenD radially outwardly of said protective material adjacent each end of the coil, said perforations being formed at the apices of respective said projections.
 13. Packaged strip material as claimed in claim 8 wherein said flexible cushioning comprises a foam material. 